July 31

Ruth Eleanor Till Heinze died 31 July 2008, age 82

She was the daughter of Leonard and Madge Treat Till

Madge was a sister of my grandmother Christie Treat Thomas

Ruth married Ed Heinze

* * *

Melvin Lee Hombs died 31 July 1999, age 79

He was the husband of Juanita Burford Hombs

Juanita was a sister of my grandfather Lester Burford

* * *

David Thomas Spayde was born 31 July 1933

He was the son of Georganna Thomas and Paul Spayde

Georganna was a daughter of Roy and Mabel Thomas

Roy Thomas was a brother of my grandfather Bill Thomas

July 30

 Nellie Jane Searcy Spain died 30 July1991

Nellie Jane is 2nd from right in this photo.

The others are Eleanor, Ruby, and Willene (Ruby is the wife of Raymond Burford)

Nellie Jane was the daughter of Edith Burford

Edith was the 2nd child of my great-grandfather Alexander Oscar Burford, Jr. and his first wife Helen Virginia Lockard

PHOTO: Alexander and Helen Virginia with their children Raymond, Edith, and Hazel

Edith married William Edward 'Will' Searcy 

Edith and Will had six children: Laura, Eleanor, Nellie, Bill, Willene, and Jerry

Nellie married Eugene Robert Spain

Nellie and Eugene had two children: John and Richard

I have two group photos that include most of these folks.

I have tagged the pictures with the names, although I'm not entirely certain I've got them all correct.

A big note of thanks to Myra Burford Luker for providing these photographs!

July 29

 Johnny Cleo Carter was born 29 July 1942

He was the son of Elmer Cleo Carter and Lorene Smith

Elmer is son of John Martin Carter and Amy Lorene Tamsett

John Martin Carter was a brother of my great-great-grandmother Adaline Carter Arnold

* * *

Robert Herdman died 29 July 1921, age 83

He was a Civil War soldier

The Herdman family was connected to the Treat family by the marriage of Belle Treat to Ulysses Grant Herdman. Belle Treat was a sister of my great-grandfather Marcus Treat.

* * *

Seth Gard married Mary Tarrett Brown 29 July 1796

I don't have a picture of Mary.

Here is the text from Seth Gard's FindAGrave memorial:

Seth was the son of Gershom Gard

In the War of 1812 he was a Private in Hamilton Mounted Militia Military Service.

Seth married Mary on 29 July 1796. Mary Brown was born 14 Dec 1774, in New Jersey and died 1856, in Palmyra, Ill.

His children were Susan, born 5 Dec 1797; Ruth Armstrong 19 Jun 1800; Amelia Gard 18 Jun 1802; Benjamin Gard April 1805; Justus 11 May 1807; Anna Gard 27 April 1809; and Phebe Gard 15 Sep 1811. Also, Hiram, Joseph and Resin Gard.

He was the Speaker of House, Illinois Territorial Legislature 1816-1817.

*

The Gard family is connected with the Gibson family by the marriage of Lucretia Adeline Gard to Asa Gibson. 

They were the parents of my great-grandmother Lora Gibson Burford.

July 28

Irene Hicks married Golden 'Doc' Barnett 28 July 1934

Doc and Irene had four children, all girls -- Velma Lee, June, Betty, and Bobbie). Actually, when I was a child I clearly remember them all being called by both names, Southern-style: Velma Lee, Melba June, Betty Ruth, and Bobbie Rene (her real name was Barbara Irene).

I believe this picture was taken on their 40th anniversary. And I believe the house in the background is their house in Campbell, Missouri.

Irene's sister Ruby married Doc's brother Arvil ('Jack') Barnett

PHOTO L-R: Jack and Ruby, Irene and Doc

Ruby, Irene, and Cleffie (my grandmother) were the first three of nine children of my great-grandparents Ulysses and Annie Hicks. Six were girls and three were boys.

PHOTO: Annie and Ulys on their 50th anniversary, 1960, with all their children. Back L-R: Ruby, Cleffie, Irene, Lowell, Elvin, Olan, Vernell, Evalee, Bernice.

* * *

In 1960 I was five years old, and this is how they all look in my childhood memories.

July 26

Chuck Hicks married Melinda Shappley 26 July 1974

Chuck is the son of Olan and Barbara Hicks.

Olan was a brother of my grandmother Cleffie Hicks Burford.

Mary Alice Moorehead Bullard died 26 July 1943, age 72

Mary Alice was the 2nd wife of George Bullard.

PHOTO: George and Mary Alice Moorehead Bullard with daughter Tessie and Mary Alice's two sons Levi and Herbert Robinson.  

George Bullard was an uncle of my great-grandfather John Henry Arnold. George and his sister Peggy took in and raised Henry who was the child of their sister Emma Bullard Arnold. So George and Peggy were more like parents to him than uncle and aunt.

Vicki Lynn Hills was born 26 July 1951

Vicki is the daughter of Jerry Thomas Roberts.

Jerry is the daughter of Melvin Thomas, brother of my grandfather Bill Thomas.

Willene Searcy Haynes died 26 July 2016, age 89 (edith's daughter)

Willene was the daughter of Edith Burford.

Edith was a half-sister of my grandfather Lester Burford.

William Ralph Rogers was born 26 July 1923

Bill was the husband of Bernice Hicks.

Bernice was a sister of my grandmother Cleffie Hicks Burford.

July 25

Seth Gard died 25 July 1845, age 70

This is the photo that is posted on Seth Gard's FindAGrave memorial. I always doubt its authenticity because of the haircut. However, the photo was posted by someone named Ivan Gard -- probably a descendant of Seth -- so I'm going to choose to believe it's him. 

The Gards are related to the Gibson branch of our family tree by the marriage of Adaline Lucretia Gard to Asa Gibson. They were the parents of my great-grandmother Lora Gibson Burford.

* * *

Jonathan Christian Burton was born 25 July 1986

Jonathan is the father of Josaline Rose Burton, daughter of Heather Thomas. Josaline was stillborn.

PHOTOS: Heather and Jonathan, Josaline's urn.

Heather Thomas (now Aguda) is the daughter of my brother John Thomas.

* * *

Laura Amy Searcy Bostick was born 25 July 1911

Laura was the daughter of Edith Burford. 

Edith was a half-sister of my grandfather Lester Burford. She was the daughter of Alexander Oscar Burford, Jr. and his first wife Helen Virginia. 

* * *

Leona Canzada Bullard Hamby died 25 July 1961, age 81

Leona was the daughter of George Bullard and his first wife Josephine Tamsett.

PHOTO: George and Josephine Bullard with daughter Leona.

George Bullard and his sister Peggy Bullard took in and raised their nephew, my great-great-grandfather John Henry Arnold, when their sister Emma Bullard Arnold was unable to care for him.

* * *

July 23

Otho Simeon Ford was born 23 July 1907

Otho Simeon Ford was the grandson of Charles and Effie Ford.

Charles was a brother of my great-grandmother Nancy Ford Thomas.

PHOTO: Charles and Effie Ford with (back) Cleo and Otho Horace, (front) Otho Simeon

PHOTO L-R: Effie, Charles, Cleo, Otho Simeon, Otho Horace

Otho's life story is interesting. The following was written in an email to my dad by Otho's daughter Della Ford Emmett:

 

Otho Simeon was abandoned in a hotel room in Chicago when he was a baby. The story goes that Otho Horace and his wife Edith Stuller both just walked out of the hotel and left this baby in the room. A neighbor heard him crying and crying and finally went to the main desk to report it. Hotel management went into the room and found him abandoned. When they checked the records Effie and Charlie Ford, his grandparents, were listed as people to notify in case of emergency. They called them and they immediately went to pick him up. 

Grandpa Charles adopted him legally so that Otho Horace couldn't claim him again. The baby (Otho Simeon) had been underfed and lacked milk to build calcium, so his legs were weak and bowed. Charlie bought a tricycle, which we understood they really couldn't afford, to help strengthen his legs. Otho Simeon continued to live with Charles and Effie until he was grown.

When Charles and Effie got elderly and unable to cope for themselves Otho Simeon went back to Michigan and brought them to his home in Montana and cared for them until their death. They are buried in the family plot in Red Lodge, Montana.

--Source: Della Ford Emmett, daughter of Otho Simeon and Fiina Herranen Ford.

PHOTO: Della Ford Emmett

PHOTO: Edith Abbie Stuller, mother of Otho Simeon Ford

(This picture is taken from a Valentine card she sent to Otho when he was a child. Edith and Horace were divorced.)

* * *

Otho Simeon Ford was born 23 July 1907 in Chicago, Illinois, and died 16 August 1980 in Bearcreek, Carbon County, Montana. He married Fiina Herranen 17 November 1928 in Tijuana, Mexico.

PHOTO: Fiina and Otho Ford

One final photo:

Otho Horace Ford (left) and son Otho Simeon Ford (right)

July 22

Amy Gibson married Lemuel Lockard 22 July 1845

Amy and Lemuel Lockard were the parents of Helen Virginia Lockard, first wife of my great-grandfather Alexander Oscar Burford, Jr.

PHOTO: Alexander and Helen Virginia Burford with their children Raymond, Edith, and Hazel.

I don't have a picture of Amy Gibson or Lemuel Lockard.

Brittney Renee Reeder was born 22 July 1989

Brittney is the daughter (or stepdaughter?) of Mike Radde.

Mike is the son of Beverly Jones Radde, daughter of Evalee Hicks Jones (sister of my grandmother Cleffie Hicks Burford)

Felix Hallmark Hicks died 22 July 1932, age 51

PHOTO: Felix Hicks with wife Ida Lenora Sandefur Hicks and children Rosie and Odice.

Felix Hicks was a brother of my great-grandfather Ulysses Hicks

Ida Lenora Sandefur Hicks was born 22 July 1881 (wife of Felix Hicks - see photo above)

Jamison Alan Hicks married Lisa Smedley 22 July 1989

PHOTO: Lisa and Jamie Hicks 

(I got this picture from Lisa's Facebook page)

Jamie is the son of Lowell and Elaine Hicks

Lowell was a brother of my grandmother Cleffie Hicks Burford

Jay Dow Naftzger was born 22 July 1866

Jay was the father of Nina Naftzger

Nina married Cecil Hurlbut

Cecil's mother was Etta Thomas, sister of my great-grandfather Charles Thomas

John Cleveland Miller died 22 July 1936, age 53

PHOTO: John Cleveland Miller and his wife Gulie

John was a son of Dale and Alice Ford Miller. Alice was a sister of my great-grandmother Nancy Ford Thomas.

Marc Allan Till was born 22 July 1956

Okay, so here's the thing...

 The first picture I posted here was

But then I realized... Oops, wrong Marc. In this photo the little boy is Marc Treat (I'm assuming named after his great-grandfather Marcus Treat). The little girl on the left is Christina Treat. But I suddenly realized... wait a minute! I'm supposed to be posting Marc TILL, not Marc TREAT.

Huh?

So I went back to my family photo collection and searched for "Marc" again. Okay, so ... THIS is Marc Till:

PHOTO: Marc Till (back left) with his mother Joann Till (center) and his wife Christina (back right). The two boys in the photo are Marc and Christina's sons Matt and John. (The little girl is his niece Lacey - daughter of Marc's brother Tommy.)

Pardon my confusion, but I have an excuse. You see, the Treat family and the Till family are related, and I knew both (all) of them growing up. 

My great-grandfather Marcus Treat had 4 children - Ray, John, Christie, and Madge. 

John Treat begat Jack Treat, who begat Jeff Treat, who begat Marc Treat. 

Madge Treat married Leonard Till and begat Ralph Till, who begat Marcus Allan Till. 

Marc Till married Christina Green. 

Jeff Treat married Carol Bastian, and messed with my poor little brain by naming his daughter CHRISTINA and his son MARC.

So now, how would you expect anyone to not be confused by all that?!